Vancouver Canucks: Five Players They Should Pursue This Offseason

Vancouver Canucks: Five Players They Should Pursue This Offseason

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As entertaining as it is to watch the playoffs, time is passing and we are getting closer to July 1. A time of change, when free agents hit the open market, and General Managers overpay to reshape their rosters.

In other words, the best day of the year for armchair General Managers.

The Canucks have most of their core players under contract for 2011-2012, but there are quite a few defensemen and depth forwards who are free agents and could be replaced.

Here are a few players I think Mike Gillis should be considering.

Canucks Players Under Contract

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The Canucks have the following NHL-calibre players signed through the 2011-2012 season.

Forwards (8)

Daniel Sedin

Henrik Sedin

Ryan Kesler

Mason Raymond

Mikhail Samuelsson

Manny Malhotra

Alex Burrows

Cody Hodgson

Defensemen (5)

Dan Hamhuis

Keith Ballard

Alex Edler

Aaron Rome

Chris Tanev

Goalies (2)

Roberto Luongo

Cory Schneider

Canucks Players That Will Be Free Agents

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The Canucks have the following players that will be either unrestricted or restricted free agents on July 1. I've highlighted the players I believe will re-sign with the team in bold. The others are likely to change teams, in my opinion.

If the players I predict re-sign with the Canucks, they will have pretty much a full roster except for some depth players for the press box. If they don't re-sign, the next slides suggest some alternatives.

Restricted Free Agents:

Maxim Lapierre - Playoff performer, and an actual center for the fourth line, something the Canucks were missing all year long.

Jannik Hansen - Will demand and get a nice raise, but they will want him back with Malhotra next year.

Shea Weber

Shea Weber can hit, skate, fight, set up a scoring chance with a nice pass or just score himself with a blistering slap shot. He should win the Norris Trophy this spring, and has won a Gold Medal with Canada in the 2010 Olympics.

He is basically the next Chris Pronger.

He is also a restricted free agent.

There are many teams interested in Weber, but I believe the Canucks have a unique opportunity due to their salary cap space and Weber's ties to Vancouver. He grew up in BC and played his junior hockey there as well.

Weber's friend and former defense partner Dan Hamhuis also jumped ship from the Predators to the Canucks as a free agent last summer.

Nashville would be loathe to lose their captain, but they might not be able to match an offer sheet from the Canucks or other teams who are willing to pay the draft picks in compensation. It isn't every day you can pick up a player of this caliber as a free agent.

If Mike Gillis did manage to steal Weber away from Nashville, it would mean the end to any thoughts of Bieksa or Ehrhoff returning, barring any further salary dumps.

Zenon Konopka

First, he was the fourth-best faceoff man in the league, winning 57.7% of his draws. Imagine a lineup that included Henrik Sedin, Kesler, Malhotra and Konopka. The Canucks would dominate faceoffs in every game.

Second, Konopka provides a ton of grit and nastiness. He threw 110 hits, blocked 52 shots, and dropped the gloves an astounding 25 times last year.